


Blessed Warmth

by havsgast



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Human Sides (Sanders Sides), M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-07 14:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21459451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/havsgast/pseuds/havsgast
Summary: Dee goes to the store for a heated blanket, and ends up going with his soulmate to the apartment they share with the rest of his soulmates.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil/Creativity | Roman/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton/Deceit Sanders, DLAMP
Comments: 21
Kudos: 220





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ravenwashere1776](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenwashere1776/gifts).

> This brilliant idea comes from @ravenwashere1776
> 
> I'm not planning to make this very long, just a few chapters. I wanted to explore it more than I already have in bullet point form.

Patton has always loved the four dark marks on his body, and he can’t wait for when they’ll blossom into colour as his soulmates touch him for the first time. Those four dark marks are not the only signs of his soulmates on his body, but the others are related to how they will find their soulmates. There are so many different soulmate connections, and Patton loves them all. He loves the name written out neatly on his wrist _(Logan)_, the purple drawings and notes that sometimes covers his arm, the mark on his shoulder that will match one of them, and even the sentence that sometimes worries him;_“If you don’t let go right now, I will scream.”_

Roman is frustrated by how little he has to go on when it comes to finding his soulmates. Except for four different symbols, he only has a name, a sentence, and the occasional purple ink from someone who hasn’t even attempted to arrange a meeting. He wonders if the fourth one even knows that they see whatever they write. It would have been very helpful if he was able to write back, but no luck. Or he was repeatedly ignored. At least the sentence is unique; it’s definitely not every day that you hear _“Eat the rich.”_

Virgil is not actually sure how many soulmates he has, but it’s at least three. He doesn’t like not knowing, and he isn’t even sure what his own soulmate connection is. Whatever it is, it must be onesided, and that’s just awful. He has no idea if they hear the songs that get stuck in his head, feel when he gets hurt, can taste what he eats, or if what he doodles on his arm shows up on them. He’s honestly thankful that one of them has the sentence connection; he’s not going to be able to mistake his soulmate for the wrong person when the words are _“Eat the rich.”_

Logan greatly appreciates the simplicity of his soulmate connection. He has four names written out in four different handwritings; Patton, Roman, Virgil, Dee. If he ever meets someone with one of those names, it’ll be easy to inquire if they’re his soulmate. Even in the case that it might simply be a strange coincidence, he has three ways to prove that it isn’t; the one symbol, the purple ink, and the rather rude sentence - _“I’m twenty-five, bitch.”_

-

Dee hasn’t thought much about soulmates since he was in high school, and he’s definitely not going to start doing it again today. It’s winter in New York, which means snows, and his heater thought it would be a brilliant idea to break during the night. Waking up in an ice-cold apartment has put him in a very bad mood, as did having to get five sweaters over his head just to get some resemblance of warmth back into his limbs. He has never been more thankful that his dad took up the _knitted sweater for Christmas_ thing after having read the Harry Potter series.

It’s with great reluctance that he puts on his winter boots and zips up his warmest jacket. He adds a soft scarf to the ensemble too, just to be safe. He has no idea when during the night that his heater broke, but there is a very big risk that he’s been in the cold long enough to be sick. On the slim chance that he hasn’t, he’s definitely not going to risk it by going outside. He curses himself for not already owning an electric heating blanket. A space heater would probably be the better option, but it would also be more expensive and likely harder to find.

He really needs to look into getting a better job, especially since the one he has so far has denied all his transfer-requests. What’s the point of a Los Angeles office if they have him stuck at the New York one? They don’t even pay that well! Or maybe he needs to get better at budgeting. No, it’s definitely the pay that is the problem.

Dee grumbles into his scarf the whole way to the store. He sneezes from the temperature change once he enters, and starts regretting the number of layers he’s wearing. The store actually has heat, making him go from being frozen to feeling like he’s in a sauna. He’ll just have to be quick. With renewed determination, he heads towards the part of the store most likely to have the electric blanket that he so desperately needs. He rounds the corner into the right aisle just in time to see that there is only one blanket left on the shelf, and some other person is about to take it.

Normally, Dee likes to consider himself quite witty and otherwise pretty good with words. This time, he has no care for what impression he might make. He needs that blanket - he refuses to walk to another store today.

“If you don’t let go right now, I will scream.” he threatens. He probably doesn’t look like much, being only 5ft and almost drowning in the layers he’s wearing, but he’s not going to let the blanket go without a fight.

“Oh thank god, I don’t need to call the cops!” the stranger replies, relief obvious in their tone. It’s not the answer that Dee had expected, but the words are strangely familiar to him.

Ah. Soulmate. That makes sense. It also doesn’t make his day better in any way, because he still needs that blanket.

“I’m still going to scream if you don’t give me that blanket.”

“I’ll buy it for you,” the stranger offers. “My name is Patton.”

“Dee. I can pay for my own blanket.”

“It’s lovely to finally meet you, Dee. I live with the rest of our soulmates if you would like to meet them.”

Patton both sounds and looks nice, and during any other circumstances, Dee would probably enjoy teasing him. This isn’t any other circumstance though, and Dee is barely aware of the conversation. His eyes are locked on the blanket that Patton is still holding. He thinks they might be moving in the direction of the check-out, but he’s honestly not sure.

“You could come over now,” Patton continues. “Everyone is at home. Or we could exchange numbers! I just can’t believe that we finally found you.”

-

Dee thinks that he must have agreed to come with Patton, as next thing he knows, they’re standing in the elevator of a much nicer apartment building than the one he lives in. He’s cradling a bag protectively, so he can only assume that Patton did buy him the blanket. He hopes he remembered to say thanks, as it would be far too awkward to suddenly show gratitude now.

The elevator stops. Patton leads him out of it, and towards a door at the end of the hallway. The door is open, and he remembers Patton saying that the other soulmates would be there. It’s very strange to go out for a blanket and end up meeting not one, but all four of his soulmates, Dee thinks.

He awkwardly enters after Patton; the apartment is quite big, and it definitely has a functioning heater. If possible, he would love to just take a nap before having to go through the whole _we’re soulmates but we four already have a relationship and you’re an outlier_ thing. It’s pretty negative of him to think that way, but it’s hard not to, what with the four actually living together. Either they’ve known each other for years, or their pre-existing dynamic is amazing. Dee doesn’t want to get in their way.

“You need to stop taking in children.” a new voice says, and Dee looks up to see a man dressed in a black button-up with a dark blue tie, and jeans. His hair is slicked back, and Dee thinks he can see one real tattoo peeking out from his rolled-up sleeves. The row of names on his wrist immediately tells him that this must be Logan.

“I’m twenty-five, bitch.” Dee says. It’s not the most polite way to introduce himself to a soulmate, but he doesn’t appreciate being called a child just because he’s short in comparison. He’s also definitely starting to suspect that he has a fever. It would be a really good idea to take off his jacket.

“My name is Logan, not bitch.” Logan answers in a deadpan tone that makes Dee giggle into his scarf. He’s strangely proud over the fact that he’s the reason that Logan has _bitch_ written somewhere on his skin.

Patton is unwinding Dee’s scarf for him, having already taken off his own outerwear. Dee would feel embarrassed, but he thinks he has a right to be overwhelmed by everything that is happening. Especially when a new person peeks out from the kitchen. Their skin is a lovely shade of light brown, their hair is a styled mess of reddish curls, and Dee thinks he spots a golden septum piercing.

“Do I need to defend your honour?” the person jokes, their voice warm like honey. They step further into the hallway, and Dee gets a proper look at the sweater that they’re wearing. It’s a nice shade of red, with a golden crown on it. A golden crown that sparkles. _Princey_ is stitched in cursive writing underneath the crown. Maybe a nickname. It would be stupid if the person was a real prince. The states might not have a royal family, but other countries do, and they get money for what - doing nothing? Being born royal? It’s absolute bullshit, in Dee’s opinion. There are much better things the money could go towards, like the homeless.

“Eat the rich.” is what Dee states, instead of voicing any of those thoughts. He looks down as he registers what he said. Huh, Patton had taken the bag from him. He’s not even wearing his jacket any longer. When did that happen? Maybe he should take off his shoes.

“Ooh, I like him!” a fourth voice calls. Dee looks up, but he doesn’t really see anything but a blur of black and purple.

Even without his scarf and jacket, he’s still feeling far too warm. He’s not sure if it’s the layers of sweaters or the fever he most definitely has. His eyelids feel heavy; a nap has never seemed like such a good idea before. This is really not how he wanted his first meeting with his soulmates to go, but it’s too late to do anything about that.

“I just wanted a goddamn heated blanket.” Dee sighs. His eyes close and he feels his body start to fall, too exhausted to stand up any longer.


	2. Chapter 2

The world comes back slowly; Dee must have fallen asleep where he was standing. He would be embarrassed, but his head feels full of cotton and he can only focus on the blessed warmth that surrounds him. As he wakes up more, the low murmurs of four different voices filters in. He can’t properly make out any words. It would be so easy to fall back asleep… the bed he’s laying on is so soft.

Wait.

Although he feels out of it, he still remembers the events that had led to this; he had followed his soulmate Patton home, exchanged his first sentences with his other three soulmates, then exhaustion had taken over... and now he is in a bed, hearing four different voices. With great reluctance, Dee forces himself to open his eyes. His mind is racing as he berates himself for the awful first impression, coming up with different worst-case scenarios; it wouldn’t surprise him if they thought he was taking advantage of them in some way. He had no idea how, but he had been accused of it plenty times of before. His work praises him for being manipulative while his friends leave him, yet he never actually wants to take advantage of anyone. He just wants to be happy.

Something wet touches his cheek. _Fuck_, he must have started crying. His soulmates have already been forced to put him in bed and now he is crying the moment that he wakes up! Why is he so pathetic?

“Hey, Dee, it’s okay,” someone says, but he can’t place the voice. Does he even know all their names? “Here, I’m gonna count and you try to breathe with me.”

One of his hands is moved to rest against the person’s chest, which allows him to feel the rhythm of their breathing. In for four seconds, hold for seven, out for eight… Four-seven-eight, four-seven-eight… The pattern continues until he can breathe properly again; he hadn’t even been aware that he was close to hyperventilating.

“Thank you.” Dee murmurs and draws his hand back. He hesitantly sits up properly in the bed, the comforter and blanket sliding off his upper body as he does. He’s only wearing one sweater underneath them, so someone must have removed the other four.

He wrings his hands awkwardly in his lap as he takes in the room. The walls are a soft lilac, contrasted by a dark purple accent wall. They’re decorated with framed band posters; at least one of which is signed. A shelf goes around the room, close to the ceiling and filled with books. On a desk sits glass jars with paintbrushes of different kinds, as well as a set of palette knives. A guitar sits next to the desk, secured in a guitar stand.

More obvious than all those details though are the four men in different places around the room. He spots Patton first, sitting at the foot of the bed. Logan stands next to him, casually leaning against the wall. Dee doesn’t know the names of the other two, but the red one is sitting in the desk chair and the purple one is kneeling next to the bed. He must have been the one that helped him with his breathing.

“I feel better now, so I’ll just be on my way…” The words come out unsure, and he isn’t able to meet anyone’s gaze. He doesn’t want to leave the warmth just yet, doesn’t want to get back to his freezing apartment, but neither does he want to continue feeling like a specimen under a microscope. Having four pair of eyes focused on him is too much.

Everyone protests at once, and Dee can’t help but stare at them with wide, confused eyes. Sure, they’re soulmates, but why would they want him to stay? They already have each other; he has no interest in being a fifth wheel. Not to mention that he’s still a complete stranger; he might be their soulmate, but he could also be an axe murderer for all they knew! Or the other way around. It hurt him to be wary even when surrounded by his soulmates, _especially_ when surrounded by his soulmates.

The purple one raises a hand into the air and everyone immediately quiets down.

“Patton, weren’t you going to make soup? Logan, you should go find the thermometer. Roman, can you check on the laundry?”

The three men give their agreements and leave, though Patton looks unsure, and the red one - Roman? - grumbles about having to do laundry. Logan waits for the two to leave first, and closes the door behind him once he also steps out. It leaves Dee alone with the purple one, who has moved to sit on the desk chair.

“This must be pretty overwhelming for you,” he muses and drags a hand through his hair. “I’m Virgil. It’s nice to finally meet you, Dee.”

“Is it?” The two words come out as small as he feels.

“Nice to meet you? Yeah. I’ve always been thankful for that sentence, y’know. Made me feel better knowing that I had one soulmate that I wouldn’t be able to miss.”

Dee had never considered what soulmate connections his soulmates might have, beyond the obvious. Logan had their names. One other three has a mark in the form of an eye with a heart-shaped pupil, which matches the mark on his thigh. Based on what Virgil said, the mark is either Patton or Roman.

“I kind of got the short straw with soulmate connections.” Virgil jokes. He takes out a pen from the pocket of his hoodie and uses it to draw a spiral on his hand.

The same spiral shows up in purple ink on Dee’s own hand.

“Being able to write back would have been helpful.” Dee agrees. He had tried once when he was still a child. When he still dreamt of one day meeting his soulmates. Quite the contrast to now, when he just wants to leave.

“Yeah, you should have heard Roman when we finally figured out we were soulmates.” Virgil says with a small chuckle. The small smile on his lips is full of fondness.

“Was there any reason you wanted to talk to me?” He would have expected Logan to be the one to break the news that he wasn’t wanted if he had to go by first impressions.

“Mm. I was in your position two years ago, kind of. The other three were already in an established relationship when I met them, and with my soulmate connection being what it is… I knew them for months before we figured it out, and when we did, I panicked. I didn’t think there was any place for me as anything but their friend. I’m guessing you’re feeling something similar.”

“But you were friends,” Dee points out. “I’m a total stranger who forced you to take care of me by falling unconscious.”

“Was it your idea to come here?” Virgil asks and casually leans back in the desk chair.

“No, it was Patton’s-”

“And did you plan on collapsing?”

“Of course not-”

“So you didn’t get sick on purpose?”

“What, no-”

“Then you haven’t in any way forced us to take care of you, Dee,” Virgil concludes. “And we would have done it even if you weren’t our soulmate.”

Dee wants to ask _why_, but that’s when Logan opens the door, having returned with a thermometer.


End file.
